Persons suffering from migraine and other headaches, sinus pain, tired and puffy eyes and the like, and persons recovering from cosmetic eye surgery and BOTOX® treatments, frequently find it desirable to apply thermal treatment to the affected area, the facial region in the location of the eyes. Thermal treatment such as heat or cold may be employed to reduce swelling, relieve pain, alleviate tension, and provide soothing comfort to the wearer. A traditional practice in applying thermal treatment to a patient has been to employ an ice bag, which may be filled with ice or a combination of ice and water. Ice bags do not conform well to the contours of a user's face and are difficult to hold in place, however. This is due, in part, to the large and defined edges of the ice included in the ice bag. The sharp, pronounced edges of the cubes within the ice bag produce an irregular lumpy surface and make it difficult for the ice bag to have a smooth conformal quality. Moreover, once the ice melts, it must be replenished. Ice must be contained in a waterproof material such as plastic which is uncomfortable when worn against a user's skin.
Various other thermal treatment devices that do not require emptying and replenishing during use or for continued use, have therefore been developed. Included are devices that include one or a plurality of plastic compartments filled with a thermal storage material such as a gelatinous substance. Orthopedic and ergonomic products formed using such a gelatinous substance may become solid when frozen and therefore lose their moldability and their ability to conform to a user's facial anatomy. Moreover, these gelatinous products must also be contained in an impervious material such as plastic which is uncomfortable when worn against a user's skin or requires the use of an additional material component to be comfortable.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an orthopedic/ergonomic device worn by the user in the eye region to produce soothing comfort and which overcomes the shortcomings of prior products. In particular, it would be desirable to provide a product that includes a thermal material filling that need not be replenished, includes a surface comfortable to a user's skin, is moldable at all temperatures including reduced temperatures, and provides soothing coolness, not an icy-cold sensation. It would be further desirable to provide such a device that provides clearance for a user to open his or her eyes while the product is in place and contacting the eye socket area.